


Chocolates and Roses

by glockcourage



Category: Naruto
Genre: Chocolates, F/M, Roses, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-18
Packaged: 2018-05-20 10:52:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6003091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glockcourage/pseuds/glockcourage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It isn't the gift that matters. It's the thought behind it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chocolates

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine's Day, guys!

**Chocolates and Roses**

With the Fourth Shinobi War not yet over, everyone at the camp is taking advantage of the temporary respite.

A woman, with blonde hair tied into four ponytails, seems to be looking for someone as she trudges the open area where numerous tents are set up on the ground, her eyes going from face to face of shinobis' present.

Finally, seeing her quarry past the edge of the clearing, the woman's strides become faster. Reaching his side, Temari opens her fist before she can change her mind. _"Here,"_ she mumbles.

Shikamaru glances down at the woman's palm and accepts the three pieces of chocolates, wrapped in glittering red wrapper.

"The wrapper could only fit three and you don't like chocolates anyway," murmurs Temari, sounding almost uncomfortable.

"Thanks," Shikamaru replies, then without taking his eyes off the kunoichi, he immediately unwraps one and shoots the brown piece into his mouth. Temari's mouth gapes open and her hand reflexively goes up seeming to stop him. _"What the hell!"_ Shikamaru splutters in surprise after, looking down at the wrapper and remaining chocolates.

" _You're not supposed to eat it, ass!"_ scowls Temari, outstretching her hands as she rudely tries to seize the gaily wrapped packages back.

Pocketing the empty wrapper and remaining _chocolates,_ Shikamaru just continues to swirl Temari's gift inside his mouth. "It's mud."

Temari snaps, "I couldn't make up my mind so by the time I got to the ration they only have the wrappers, and none of the chocolate ingredients are left."

The dark haired shinobi simply nods his head, his high ponytail bobbing with his movement.

" _Shikamaru?"_ a female shinobi wearing a green flak jacket and the Allied Shinobi head protector approaches. After nodding at the kunoichi from Suna, she offers three pieces of similarly wrapped cubes to the male shinobi.

"Is that chocolate?" Shikamaru asks the female nin from his village.

" _That's chocolate, ass!"_ hisses Temari. _"_ I saw her. She's one of the first in line for the rations."

The girl smiles her thanks to Temari. After all, the older kunoichi just proved to Shikamaru how special her gifts is. So with arms still extended and both palms cupping her Valentine's present, she proffers the chocolates to the male shinobi.

Shikamaru just continues to chew. "Why does it have pebbles?"

"Those were supposed to be nuts! _Seriously, just spit it out!"_ scowls Temari, glowering with exasperation at the male nin. The presence of the other kunoichi, the only reason why her hand has not strayed onto her back to take her big metallic fan and put it into good use.

Knowing that it's her chance, the girl reiterates, "These are real chocolates."

Shikamaru shakes his head. "I don't like sweets. There are a lot of men out here. You'll find someone who'll appreciate it."

" _But—"_ the young Konoha kunoichi stammers.

Slowly, Temari smirks. "He's eating _my_ chocolate." Then the smirk turns scary. "You know what that means... _Better go scram!_ "

—o0o—

~2 10 13 AF P 2 14 13, 2 14 16~


	2. Roses

****Roses** **

They officially became a couple on Vday. So technically, she gave him chocolates and he accepted and that was that.

A year later, she presented a chocolate filled with nuts wrapped in a beautiful handcrafted paper box to him.

She didn't realized she expected something back when as their date progressed, he didn't surprised her with something—anything would do actually. He didn't give her a gift, any token for their one year together. When he was asked if he forgot, he reminded her, he got them a couple phone ten months ago and that her and his phones were expensive and that he was still paying for it.

So she have a practical boyfriend. She knew that even before they hit their first year anniversary and their first year anniversary just reminded her of that.

During their second couple anniversary, he got his raisin filled chocolates from her and she got nothing from him…

So Temari tried to recall if he had given her something during the past year. He didn't.

There were only a handful of times they had seen each other so recollecting those times wasn't too hard. Shikamaru took her on a tour around the whole of Nara clan property. It was composed of huge strip of land, engulfed with trees, plants and wildlife, dotted with sprawling houses of his ponytailed relatives, but some land were obviously still unoccupied. On one such vacant lot, he spread a sheet for a picnic. It was a day spent with good food, whispered words, blunt teasing and warm caresses. She loved it.

The other times they had seen each other, those were during two separate joint missions, several months apart. They were missions, not vacations but still, they were able to spend time together.

What they have is a long distance relationship and they are unable to just date anytime they wanted. But Shikamaru and his smart phones saw them through their relationship and now they were in their second year.

"Not done paying for the phone, ass?" Temari grumbled. The phone, she grudgingly accepted was a gift—but that was for last year.

How hard could it be to remember their anniversary considering it's in a day where everyone he sees on the streets is either bearing chocolates or flowers?

Answer: pretty hard obviously.

So on the third anniversary, no chocolates from her were forthcoming, a revenge for the past year.

Shikamaru frowned and waited and waited at her Suna apartment. But when the clock hit 12:01 am on February 15th, he finally realized, he wouldn't be receiving any sweets that year.

Her boyfriend then had the gall to get mad, accusing her that she forgot. She didn't. His chocolates were beneath them, under her bed. Those dark bars of cocoa would remain there until he presented her with something too.

She is a tough kunoichi but still she is like any girl and she felt like their relationship…lacked romance big time.

February fourteen is the day they had agreed on three years ago that they would meet no matter how far the distance between them. No matter what, no excuses, they would meet on that day. Not Christmas because everyone is busy during the holiday season. Not their birthdays 'cause if one couldn't attend the other's birthday, it wouldn't be fair …so it was decided… Valentine's Day which is also their Anniversary Day.

Temari, alone in her apartment at 12:04 am February fifteenth, ate Shikamaru's chocolates.

Days later, they made up. He said he was childish for walking out, she agreed. He admitted he liked her chocolates …and that coming from Shikamaru was such a sweet thing to hear so she forgave him and revealed she had his chocolates hidden.

Shikamaru looked at her accusingly but before he could open his mouth to complain, she kissed him.

During the time that lead to their fourth anniversary, Temari only saw Shikamaru once. It was by chance that her team and his team were staying at the same place at the edge of some village at the same time.

He was that busy.

They had less than an hour to themselves. She could have spent the time complaining why he was always, always on a mission but their time together is precious that she couldn't waste it that way.

…And even with phone calls, long distance relationship was still hard, harder now that she kept on wanting more from him.

So on their fourth anniversary, Temari decided that if Shikamaru comes empty handed again, it's a sign that she should dump him. The lazy ass can stop taking her for granted.

And when she saw him by the door, somehow she knew…the day would end along with their relationship.

He didn't bring anything again, not even a plastic flower that could easily fit in his bag to show a token of his affection for her. A little gift to show he remembered her, to show he had taken the time to choose something for her.

The long distance between their villages had made it hard for them to see each other often…and she needed something tangible to prove to herself that she was in his mind even when she was out of his sight.

There was nothing.

As Temari gripped her phone inside the pocket of her yukata, she wondered if she could give him another chance.

He was here with her on Valentine's Day, the one day they agreed they would always meet. He didn't bring any gift for her but she knew he loves her.

Taking out her chocolates, she gave it to him. They were three pieces of gaily wrapped chocolate with gooey fruity center.

Shikamaru received his chocolates but did not bother to unwrap one. He made himself at home as he sat down on her couch, patting the cushion next to him for her to sit down.

"I think, next year, I won't be giving you chocolates anymore," Temari announced as she remained standing, yet inwardly, silently pleading with herself to be more understanding, to give Shikamaru another chance.

Shikamaru looked up, scrutinizing her face. "Next year, let's stop with this long distance relationship," he uttered quietly in return.

She knew it…He had enough of their relationship. It was difficult and tiring. It took too much effort. She had wanted to be the first to say _ _, '_ Enough,' _so it wouldn't hurt so much…

But it hurt so damn much.

Because her legs suddenly felt wobbly, she took the chair across from him. Staring at him blindly, jumbled thoughts flashed through her head. All those late night calls, all those times she missed him so much, all those spirited arguments, all those tight hugs and hungry kisses, all those moments they spent together, the making love, all those memories…

"Remember, before we celebrated our second anniversary, I took you to see the whole of my clan's property?" Shikamaru asked suddenly. "In particular that place where we had our picnic?"

Temari nodded her head. Shikamaru prepared everything then. The take-out meal along with the thick blanket were waiting for them at the middle of an open space, beautifully carpeted by grass. It was a great day, spent doing just basically what he likes—lazing around.

Seeing her nod, Shikamaru continued, "It took me two years to have enough money to start the house to be built on that land. Roughly it would take one more year before I could bring you a flower from the rose garden that would be attached to it." Squaring his shoulders, he then asked, "If I do that on our fifth anniversary will I receive your chocolates then?"

Temari stared at the man before her. Uncomprehending at first then…She was so wrong. She was so busy looking for romance that she almost missed it, she already had the most romantic guy.

_Still…_ being wrong rankled especially when it could have been prevented by a simple explanation.

Keeping her face straight, the fact that she was touched well hidden, she drawled almost nonchalantly, "So for our first anniversary, it was not the phone—it was the ten months that we were able to use that phone already. For our second, it was actually the picnic on a land you just acquired." However, it wasn't actually the picnic, Temari recognized that now. It was a presentation of Shikamaru's life's goal. And she was included in it.

Shikamaru shrugged his agreement.

"Today, on the anniversary of our fourth year together, it's the house you have been tirelessly saving for. And next year, a rose." Keeping the smile off her face when she was bursting with happiness, she tried on a scowl. "What was the third gift?"

" _Tch_ myself, woman," grunted Shikamaru, his body belying his tone as he comfortably leaned backwards on the couch, raising an arm along the backrest. "There was an offer for a mission that would pay three times more. Even though it would have made saving for the house easier I have to reject it. We promised to meet each other no matter what on that day."

Temari stood and sat beside Shikamaru. Sidling to his side, and taking his outstretched arm from the backrest and wrapping it around her, she mumbled, "If I helped with the rose garden—"

"No."

Temari raised a brow.  _ _"_ No?"_

"Everything is planned. With that rose which technically would be my first gift to you, I planned to—" Shikamaru stopped, catching himself.

But her boyfriend didn't need to say it. Temari knew. He's so damned romantic, he wanted the single rose to be all the more special.

Temari finally allowed her smile to shine through. "Next year, I'll definitely look forward to your gift."

She understood, next year, Shikamaru would ask her for them to stop their long distance relationship.

Because long distance relationship is hard and tiring, he would ask her to stay with him.

He got a house, with a rose garden…he was making his offer quite irresistible.

So on their fifth anniversary, she got a red rose. It had a short stem and thin, bruised petals. She complained, the flower is ugly. Obviously, the plant that gave the bloom away needed someone less lazy to continue tending to them. Someone like her.

Shikamaru agreed readily.

—o0o—

~2 12 15AF P2 14 15 RP 2 18 17~

 


End file.
